Pam Shriver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pam Shriver

Shriver at the 2023 US Open
Full name	Pamela Howard Shriver
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Born	(1962-07-04) July 4, 1962 (age 63) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Turned pro	1979
Retired	1997
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Coach	Don Candy
Prize money	$5,460,566
Int. Tennis HoF	2002 (member page)
Singles
Career record	625–270 (69.83%)
Career titles	21
Highest ranking	No. 3 (February 20, 1984)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (1981, 1982, 1983)
French Open	3R (1983)
Wimbledon	SF (1981, 1987, 1988)
US Open	F (1978)
Doubles
Career record	622–122
Career titles	112
Highest ranking	No. 1 (March 18, 1985)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989)
French Open	W (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988)
Wimbledon	W (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986)
US Open	W (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1991)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	W (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986Nov, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991)
Olympic Games	Gold Medal (1988)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open	W (1987)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (1986, 1989) Record: 19–1 (95%)
Medal record Representing  United States Tennis Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul Women's doubles Pan American Games Gold 1991 Havana Singles Gold 1991 Havana Women's doubles Gold 1991 Havana Mixed doubles

Pamela Howard Shriver (born July 4, 1962) is an American former professional tennis player. She is also a tennis commentator, expert, and coach. In the 1980s and 1990s, Pam Shriver won many tennis titles. She earned 133 titles in total. This included 21 singles titles and 111 women's doubles titles. She also won one mixed doubles title.

Shriver won 22 major titles, mostly in doubles. She won 21 women's doubles titles and one mixed doubles title. She also won an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles. This was at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Her partner was Zina Garrison. Pam Shriver and her regular doubles partner, Martina Navratilova, made history. They are the only women's pair to win all four major Grand Slam tournaments in one year. This amazing achievement happened in 1984. Shriver reached world No. 3 in singles. She was also the world No. 1 in doubles.

Pam Shriver's Playing Style

Pam Shriver was known for her varied tennis game. She was excellent at the net, using sharp volleys. She also had a strong slice forehand. This shot made her stand out from other players. She often used an underspin approach. Shriver was known for her "serve-and-volley" style. This means she would serve and then quickly run to the net.

Pam Shriver's Tennis Career

Shriver in 1994

Pam Shriver first became famous at the US Open in 1978. She was only 16 years old and still an amateur player. She reached the women's singles final. In the semifinal, she beat Martina Navratilova, who was the reigning Wimbledon champion. Shriver then lost to Chris Evert in the final match. This was her best singles result at a Grand Slam.

Shriver won her first singles title in 1978 in Columbus, Ohio. She went on to win 21 singles titles between 1978 and 1997. The 1978 US Open final was her only Grand Slam singles final. She reached the semifinals of Grand Slam singles tournaments eight more times. She lost to top players like Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Evert, and Hana Mandlíková.

Doubles Success

Pam Shriver had huge success in doubles tournaments. She won 79 women's doubles titles with Martina Navratilova. Overall, Shriver won 112 career doubles titles. She is one of only six female players in the Open era to win more than 100 career titles.

Navratilova and Shriver were one of the best women's doubles teams ever. They won seven Australian Open titles. They also won five Wimbledon titles, four US Open titles, and four French Open titles. In 1984, they achieved the "Calendar Grand Slam." This means they won all four major women's doubles titles in that single year. This was part of an amazing 109-match winning streak from 1983 to 1985. The WTA Tour named them "Doubles Team of the Year" eight times in a row. This was from 1981 through 1988. They also won the WTA Tour Championships title ten times.

Shriver won another women's doubles Grand Slam title at the US Open in 1991. Her partner for that win was Natasha Zvereva. She also won the 1987 French Open mixed doubles title with Emilio Sánchez. In 1991, she won three gold medals at the Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba. She won in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. Shriver also won a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics with Zina Garrison. She reached the world No. 1 doubles ranking in 1985.

Playing for Her Country: Federation Cup

Pam Shriver played for the United States in the Federation Cup. She had a great record, winning five out of five singles matches. She also won 14 out of 15 doubles matches. She played in 17 Federation Cup events from 1986 to 1992. She helped her team reach three finals. They won twice, in 1986 and 1989.

Pam Shriver as a Broadcaster

After retiring from playing tennis in 1996, Pam Shriver became a television commentator. She has worked for major networks like ABC, CBS, ESPN, and The Tennis Channel in the United States. She has also worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom and the Seven Network in Australia. She has been covering tennis events since 1996.

Tennis Equipment

Pam Shriver was one of the first tennis players to use a special oversized racquet. This racquet was made by Prince.

Awards and Honors

• During the 1980s, Pam Shriver was always ranked among the top 10 women's singles players in the world. Her highest rank was world No. 3.
• She was chosen to be the president of the WTA Tour Players Association from 1991 to 1994.
• She also served as president of the USA Tennis Foundation. She was on the board of directors for the United States Tennis Association.
• In 2002, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor in tennis.
• She received the Ambassador Award of Excellence in 2002.

Pam Shriver's Personal Life

Pamela Howard Shriver was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were Sam and Margot Shriver. She started playing tennis when she was just three years old. She went to McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Pam Shriver is a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. She also works with many different charity organizations. Her first husband, Joe Shapiro, passed away in 1999. In 2002, Shriver married actor George Lazenby. They had three children: George Samuel, born in 2004, and twins Kaitlin Elizabeth and Samuel Robert, born in 2005. The family lived in Brentwood, California. They later divorced in 2011.

Pam Shriver has two sisters, Marion and Eleanor. She is also a distant cousin of Maria Shriver. Maria Shriver was the former First Lady of California. She is also the niece of President John F. Kennedy.

Shriver is an ambassador for Up2Us Sports. This is a group that helps young people. They provide coaches who teach positive life skills through sports.

See also

In Spanish: Pam Shriver para niños

Images for kids

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  Shriver in 1994